Lecture Number 2: Structure and Function of Prokaryotic Cells

Topics:  Eukaryotic vs prokaryotic cells (Ch 4: 82-85).

 Structure of the prokaryotes, the domains Archaea and Bacteria

(Ch 35: 861-866, 870).

 Differences between Bacteria and Archaea (see slides and

notes).

 Why study Bacteria? Cause of many diseases. Decomposers and

recyclers. Agents in industrial and agricultural processes.
Agents for nitrogen fixation. Major primary producers – the
Cyanobacteria (Ch 35: sections relevant to the lecture).

Lecturer: A/Prof Alex Johnson, School of BioSciences

Recommended Reading: Citations are provided for the 5th Edition of Knox, Ladiges, Evans &
Saint" Biology, An Australian Focus" (McGraw-Hill) and include
the Chapter number followed by the page number(s), for example:
(Ch 34: 834)

Theme/Objective: To understand the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic

cells. To understand the structure, diversity and function of archaea
and bacteria, and how they differ. The importance of cyanobacteria.

Keywords/concepts: Prokaryotes, eukaryotes, cell, cell membrane, archaea, bacteria and

cyanobacteria, cytoplasm, ribosome, protein, DNA, cell wall.

Summary of Lecture:

1. Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic cells: As stated in the notes from lecture #1, the greatest
division amongst organisms is between those cells that have nuclei (said to be
eukaryotic) and those that lack nuclei (or prokaryotic). Of all cells, ONLY Bacteria
and Archaea have prokaryotic structure, and these two domains are very different
from one another.

2. Origin of Eukaryotic cells from Prokaryotic Cells? We have an idea of when

prokaryotic cells first arose from the fossil record, but the origin of eukaryotic cells is
not known. Evolution theory states that eukaryotic cells evolved from prokaryotic
cells.

3. Prokaryotic Cells: There are two domains of prokaryotes, the Bacteria (including
the cyanobacteria) and Archaea, or simplest of cells. We have only just begun to

Page 1
understand the Archaea. Prokaryotic cell structure is very simple, and is illustrated in
the lecture and in your book. The cell structure consists of a semi-rigid cell wall
surrounding cytoplasm containing a single, circular DNA in an area called the
nucleoid, and a few hundred to few thousand ribosomes. When present, flagella are
simple in structure when compared to eukaryotes. Bacterial flagella are extracellular
and composed of flagellin. Prokaryotic reproduction is by simple binary fission.

There are a large number of bacteria, ubiquitous microorganisms (l-l0 µm) that are
very important in the environment for the decomposition of organic matter and to
recycle nutrients. Bacteria are also the major cause of disease (e.g., typhoid, cholera,
dysentery, TB, plague, gangrene, VD, tetanus, pneumonia, Legionnaire's) and vital in
food production (e.g., cheese, yogurt, sour cream, sauerkraut, vinegar, citric acid).
Most bacteria are heterotrophic, some are able to photosynthesize (photoautotrophs),
some are able to oxidize inorganic compounds and harvest energy (chemoautotrophs)
and some are able to fix nitrogen from air (important source of green "fertilizer").

How do Archaea differ from Bacteria

 Morphologically they don't.

 Over half of Archaean genes were new to science when they were first
discovered.
 Biochemically, Archaea are nearly as different from Bacteria as they are from
Eukaryotes (making them their own domain).
 The two central processes in molecular biology, genetic transcription and
translation, are more similar in Archea to those of Eukaryotes than Bacteria.
 Features of the Archaean lipids and their membranes are unusual and Archaeans
lack a peptidoglycan cell wall (except for a few organisms, and in those
circumstances, the peptidoglycan is biochemically distinctive from the bacterial
peptidoglycan).
 Most Archaeans are extremophiles (e.g., hot, cold, acidic, alkaline, highly saline,
extreme pressure etc), though not all. This story is changing as we learn more
about Archaea).
 As of 2017, no clear examples of Archaean pathogens are known.
 Eukaryotes have almost equal numbers of genes from both Archaea and Bacteria.

Page 2